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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. can — a tin
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. can — to be able to
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fall — to drop

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com